Myrmecodia beccarii

an Ant Plant

Myrmecodia
beccarii is an ant plant that is endemic to Australia. It only occurs in
the mangroves and lowland forests found around Cairns and northern Cape York.

M.
beccarii is distinguishable from other ant plants through its small and
succulent leaves, as well as through its tendency to develop multiple stems.
Typical for most ant plants are the hypocotyls, which are stems that enlarge
to form a tuber-like structure. In Myrmecodia beccarii, these hypocotyls
are covered in ridges and spines. The white flowers are not very conspicuous,
as they are formed in hollows along the alveoli (stem). The ripe fruit then
protrudes from the alveoli and they can be white, red, orange or pink.

When the plant grows, tissue within the tuber dies back and hollow chambers
form. These chambers allow ants (mostly Iridomyrmex cordatus) to enter
the plant. A symbiotic relationship exists between the plant and the ants; the
plant provides a protective shelter for the ants, in turn the ants provide additional
nutrients to the plant with its food leftovers. Not all plants are inhabited
but examinations have proven that in the wild, the vast majority of plants house
ant colonies.

It is very easy to propagate Myrmecodia beccarii from seed. Seeds germinate
readily along the stems of trees in glasshouse conditions. The main thing to
consider when propagating from seed is to keep the substrate moist. The use
of free draining terracotta or open mesh pots (used for orchids) is ideal. The
plants should dry out between waterings, however not too much otherwise they
will wilt. Plants in pots should be watered about every second or third day.
Plants that are mounted on slabs (the ANBG uses cork) need daily watering. In
cooler weather, watering must be reduced, otherwise brown and corky patches
will appear on the leaves.

In the future, though, the ANBG will change to boiled bark. This
is pre-weathered bark and lasts longer because the soft parts have been boiled
out.

To grow Myrmecodia beccarii, high temperatures are needed to match its
natural habitat conditions. It thrives within a night/day range of low 20°s to
low 30°s. In summer, liquid fertiliser should be added once a week. The ANBG
uses a half-strength liquid orchid fertiliser (100 parts/million of nitrogen).
In autumn and spring, the plants should be liquid fertilised once a fortnight
and in winter about once a month. Slow release fertiliser can be used as an
alternative in spring if preferred, but apply sparingly as ant plants are slow
growing.

No pests or diseases have been observed to date, though they could potentially
suffer from pest insects such as scale, mealy bugs, mites or aphids.

Text by Cornelia Garbe (2004 Student Botanical Intern)

Derivation of the name: Myrmecodia beccarii

Myrmecodia  from the Greek myrmekodes,
meaning ant-like or full of ants

See a 3D internal view of Myrmecodia beccarii courtesy of Dr
Tim Senden, Dept. Applied Mathematics, Research School of Physical Sciences
and Engineering, Australian National University. X-ray photo Myrmecodia beccarii